Midland RockHounds catcher Sean Murphy hit .537 his senior year at Centerville (Ohio) High School, leading the Elks to a 24-2 record.

But as he found out through countless conversations with college coaches, his 5-foot-10, 150-pound frame was just too slight. Murphy, who possesses a respectable contact tool, strong defensive fundamentals and a rocket arm, just needed to grow.

He looked to his father, Mike, as a template to follow. Mike pitched at Manhattan College and also began his career at a light playing weight. He filled out as he progressed through college and through the Cleveland Indians' farm system, until he eventually landed on the Indians' 40-man roster for a couple of seasons in the late 1980s.

"I was very small, too small to play at a (high collegiate) level," said Murphy, who made his Double-A debut behind the plate for the RockHounds on Thursday at Security Bank Ballpark. "But I knew I would grow. It was unfair to not project me to the future, but it was a prove-them-wrong kind of deal. It motivated me for sure."

Months later, Murphy finally got his shot as a preferred walk-on at Wright State, a mid-major program in the Horizon League just 12 miles northeast his home in Dayton.

And he never looked back.

Murphy started as a freshman for the Raiders, drove in 35 runs in 55 starts and earned Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors. As he continued to grow and add to his once underwhelming frame, his performance and draft stock soared in equal measure. His upward trend culminated in him being selected by the Oakland A's in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2016 draft.

Murphy, who now stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 215 pounds, said he is indebted to the coaching staff at Wright State for giving him the opportunity nobody else would.

"It felt good and I couldn't have ended up in a better spot," Murphy said. "I got a chance to start right out of the gate. I got that opportunity and I'm glad I did. A lot of places would have just made me the bullpen catcher my freshman year. I have nothing but respect for those coaches over there. They are a big part of the reason I'm here."

Though Murphy's stature has changed dramatically since his days as a scrawny Ohio teenager, his impressive skills behind the plate have remained constant. Seven months after the draft, he was invited to Oakland's major league spring camp and immediately turned heads.

Prior to his Wednesday call-up, he started the 2017 season in Stockton, where he hit .297 with nine home runs, 26 RBI in 45 games. Defensively, he threw out 33 percent of attempted base stealers.

"I honestly don't know if I've ever seen a better catching arm," said Midland manager Fran Riordan, who watched Murphy in spring camp and who appreciates his humble beginnings. "It's a special arm, an effortless swing and it just comes out hot. He throws with a lot of accuracy and he takes a lot of pride in it. I'm excited to watch it again.

"When you have the kind of physical potential that Murph has, the sky is the limit for him. You know he's going to leave it all out there, in his preparation, his work."

Murphy, who enjoys skiing back home in Ohio and streaming movies, said he recognizes a special opportunity with the current roster situation in Midland. Lately, the RockHounds have used a revolving door catcher rotation and Murphy, Oakland's No. 14 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is anxious for a chance to solidify himself as an everyday Double-A backstop.

"Absolutely," Murphy said. "That's obviously the goal when I came here. But there's a lot of work to be done to make myself that prospect. I've got to work with this pitching staff. I had a level of trust with the staff in Stockton and I've got to start all over again with these new guys. Hopefully they trust me."

A.J. Puk, the former University of Florida ace and Oakland's No. 6 overall draft pick in 2016, was called up to Midland from Single-A Advanced Stockton on June 19 and has already made a pair of road starts for the RockHounds.

But the 6-foot-7 power left-hander has yet to make a start at Security Bank Ballpark. He is scheduled to take the mound for Midland at 4 p.m. Sunday against the Tulsa Drillers in is first home outing.

"Definitely, I've been looking forward to it and I'm just going to go out there and continue to compete, see what happens," said Puk, Oakland's No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. "I'm looking forward to continuing to get better."

In his first two Double-A starts, Puk is 0-2 with an 8.59 earned run average. He has struck out eight and walked five in 7 1/3 innings.

Meisner, a Cypress native and a third-round pick by the New York Mets in 2013, is set to make his Double-A debut with the RockHounds at 7 p.m. today against Springfield following his Thursday call-up.

Another towering 6-foot-7 hurler, the right-handed Meisner was acquired by Oakland in the trade that sent set-up man Tyler Clippard to the Mets on July 27, 2015.

In 74 2/3 innings with Stockton this season, Oakland's No. 26 prospect has gone 6-5 with a 3.98 ERA, while fanning 80 batters.